grunyon
New Reader
6/1/13 9:54 a.m.
Hey everyone.
I've got the opportunity to buy a 1983 AMC Spirit DL for 300 bucks. It's got the straight six 3.2 liter engine but it's got the 3 speed automatic. The body and interior are pretty clean for the age... no rot... It's a cool little car and I like it... and for my first real project if I don't like it I can probably get my money back lol.
Anyway, I can't find much information out there. I am especially interested in a manual transmission swap. Popular engine swaps. Engine swap adapter kits. What bolts up and what doesn't. I am reading a lot about swapping the jeep head onto the AMC block and making lots of power very nicely with that setup which would be easy enough. I still want to have it be a manual transmission, though, and I am no fabricator. I am not having much luck on Google.
Should I go for it or save a few hundred dollars and get a first gen RX-7 or 280z or something?
DOOD. 
300 clams and no rot? If it's a 2 door grab hell out of it before they come to their senses!
If you decide you don't like it it should not be hard to flip to buy an RX7 etc.
Here ya go
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=OmjQzPasX8w&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DOmjQzPasX8w
The Spirit shares it's underbody with the AMC Hornet, Gremlin, Eagle, and Concord. They were the first floorpan to use the venerable T-5 manual transmission, so yeah, swaps are easy. It will also except any AMC V8, and there are many manual transmissions you can put behind those as well, including the T5 and it's successors.
At $300 it's a smoking good deal, do it!
Why not?
And give it a pissed off, straight 6, turbo'd 4.0 (which actually has some Indy heritage).
[blush] I got Spirit and Grape (Concord) mixed up when I said '2 door'. [/blush]
If it runs and drives $300 is a helluva good deal.
In reply to Curmudgeon:
They made the Concord in 2-door form, too. ;-)
PS - That's my Grandpa's Spirit AMX Turbo Pace Car.
built and 81 with a 302 t5 combo. good friend used it as his daily till it wanked a median....
fun little cars. cut a full coil in front for proper stance.
michael
